Even the soft-spoken Derrick White felt the need to clap back at a previous critique after the Boston Celtics earned their long-awaited Banner 18.
While speaking to reporters after Boston's 106-88 victory at TD Garden on Monday night, White reflected on the narrative the Celtics weren't "battle tested."
The notion the Celtics didn't know how to win close games was a popular talking point entering the NBA playoffs, and ahead of the NBA Finals against the Dallas Mavericks.
"They were trying to say we weren't battled tested; I'm like, What do you think the last two years was? Did that not mean nothing?" White told reporters, per ASAP Sports.
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White's reference obviously was to Boston's shortcomings in the NBA Finals two seasons prior and loss to the Miami Heat in the Eastern Conference finals last year.
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Unfortunately for those who criticized the C's, the storyline fell flat all postseason. The Celtics defeated the Mavericks in a gentleman's sweep after doing the same to the Miami Heat and Cleveland Cavaliers. Boston swept the Indiana Pacers in the conference finals.
Perhaps the Celtics should have made it harder on themselves. After all, they didn't play many close games en route to a 16-3 postseason record and 80-21 overall mark.
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